Fine china, fabulous presentation, fireworks. Infusing fun into our smart eating lifestyle is so important.
It was a hot summer evening in Atlanta. A friend and I were doing our weekly meet-up at the dog park.
I arrived first, grabbed the shaded picnic table and waited for Mel. I saw her car pull in and watched her walk quickly with her pup into the dog park.
She made her way to the picnic table, and announced, “I’m starving!”
At that, she pulled out a full block of raw tofu.
And block in hand, she began eating chunks of it.
Raw. Tofu.
Keep in mind that Mel is on a forever quest to lose weight, and reign in her unhelpful eating habits. But like so many of us, she veers wildly from double-cheese pizza to a block of raw tofu which is the perfect way to tank at smart eating.
Mel’s Three Stumbles
Let’s deconstruct the stumbles Mel made (no judgement, of course, everyone stumbles):
- That morning, Mel did not set herself up for success when she neglected to create a smart eating plan for her day.
- In the evening, she left her home feeling hungry. Once at the park, she was super hungry. On a scale of one (stuffed) to ten (famished), Mel was likely at a five when she left her house and a six by the time she sat down at the picnic table. (Keeping hunger to a three to five is a reliable way to have our own back.)
- Mel brought incredibly boring — actually tasteless — food for dinner (I’m a huge fan of tofu, but I don’t eat it raw).
The number three stumble is what we’ll focus on here. I’m a believer in using exciting eating strategies as an important tool for weight loss and forever maintenance.
What Do I Mean By Exciting Eating?
When the food you’re having brings a smile to your face or makes you feel pleased inside, you’re in the zone of exciting eating. I’m always on the look-out for ways to bring some pizzazz to my food.
Topping my first coffee in the morning with whipped cream and sprinkles!
Maintaining a “clean” kitchen by keeping my smart eating “tools” at the ready. I prioritize keeping Costco favorites on hand like plant-based protein powder and their bag of frozen veggies.
Additionally I eat seasonally meaning I keep my favorite fuel-foods on hand depending on the season: spring is asparagus, summer all kinds of fruits (watermelon!!), fall is butternut squash soup from Trader Joes, and winter is a vegetarian chili recipe.
Note that I don’t say anything about raw tofu. Boring eating is not your friend. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to create yo-yo eating.
Scoring Exciting Food at Trader Joe’s
Trader Joes is stocked in fun products that are healthy (i.e. low in trans fat and calories). I love their vegan chicken, a tasty no-gluten bread, polenta, coffee beans, hummus, French Macarons (center freezer aisle), super dark chocolate and so much more.
And Check Out Costco’s Treasures
I struggled forever to eat daily veggies because I hadn’t found a way to make them interesting. One afternoon at Costco, I watched a woman load three giant bags of Sweet Kale into her cart.
I asked, “why so many?” and she explained that she eats two handfuls of the Sweet Kale for dinner every evening. But — and here’s her trick — she doesn’t prepare the kit as sold (way too many bad fats).
Keeping her example in mind here’s what I do: I buy two giant bags of Sweet Kale each week (you’ll find the huge bags in Costco’s walk-in freezer). Kroger and Publix sell Sweet Kale too, but the packages aren’t Costco-size.
Around noon most days, I prep the salad because, as the woman explained, these ingredients need one to six hours to marinate.
It’s All in the Layering
I put 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar into the bottom of a large bowl and throw a handful of Sweet Kale onto the oil and vinegar mix.
I then drizzle another 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and two tablespoons of vinegar on top of the kale. Then I toss a second handful of kale onto the first one and pour another 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and vinegar onto that handful. (Olive oil is a super healthy fat.)
It sounds convoluted, but once you’re in the habit, layering the ingredients is quick.
Next I sprinkle a little of the dried cranberries and seeds — that come in the Sweet Kale package — on top. Finally I chop a bunch of cucumber and add it too with a handful of baby carrots (also in Costco’s freezer section).
Last, handfuls of baby spinach go on top as the final layer. Finally I drizzle — barely — a bit of the poppy-seed dressing (also in the Sweet Kale pack) onto the baby spinach.
Not only am I delivering a huge serving of nutrition to my bod, but I’m also getting my crunching needs met. (I’m a cruncher.)
Does it take an eternity to eat this giant salad? Funny you should ask because yes, it does take forever. But it’s a habit you’ll love incorporating into your life.
You Say Potato, I Say Pizza
When it comes to exciting food, you might want a glass of Merlot at the end of the day, I might prefer a narrow slice of pizza, while a friend wants a handful of Jelly Bellies.
Incorporating food that you love into your daily Smart Eating Plan (in small portions) is key to losing weight and maintaining for the long haul. That said, steer clear of trigger-foods. If Jelly Bellies send you on the quest for more sugar, don’t do Jelly Bellies.
With total confidence I can tell you that infusing interesting food is vital to being successful in losing and maintaining for the long run.
I’d love it if you’d share smart ways you bring fun into your daily eating plan.
♥, Wendy
P.S. Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And always feel free to email me at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll get Aunt Bea right to you!
You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.
I am not an expert, a doctor, a surgeon, a nurse or a nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ♥
25 Comments
Mmmm that salad sounds great Wendy! I’m trying not to go to Costco these days, but I bet I could make one up, kind of ! 😉 Thanks for the great idea, and all the TJ’s things too. Happy Weekend!
I should have said: no need to go to Costco! Kroger — and likely Publix — sells Sweet Kale too. It’s a daily habit for me. And, yes, you’re amazing for how many hours you pack into the week!! You’re also an inspiration.
You have inspired me to add some sweet kale to my shopping list. This salad sounds delicious and I too need the crunch !
Hi Rosemary! I’m so glad you’re trying the Sweet Kale. The only downside is that it takes forever to eat, but that can be a good thing too. 🙂
Wendy
This salad is incredible — I think you’ll like it! — Wendy
I agree that healthy eating doesn’t need to be boring at all! This salad sounds yummy!
Fun food is everything. The salad is awesome — I highly recommend! — Wendy
What a great idea Wendy! I am not a big fan of raw kale but I’ve never tried sweet kale. I love craisins and layered salads so this just makes so much sense! I’m going to Costco later this week so I will look for sweet kale. I can imagine adding blueberries and even strawberries and walnuts might be a good alternative set of toppings.
The Sweet Kale package rocks — I’m so glad you’re trying it! It has me eating vegetables and before it was a real struggle to choke the few that I had down.
Wendy
I started reading this because I love dessert myself and have often skipped dinner and went right to dessert. I also have twins and gained 70 pounds while pregnant. I lost most of the weight because of all the running after them. I’m happy to have found your blog,
Regards,
Nancy
Welcome Nancy! Congratulations on your twins! How old are they? Your trick of eating dessert for dinner is exactly what my naturally thin sister would do on occasion.
Wendy
I’ve noticed the earlier I eat the more I eat, but if I eat before I go out, then I eat less. But I can’t eat too early. I’m having a real battle with food these days. Thanks for linking with #pocolo
Thank you for having #pocolo!!
Wendy
Such wisdom here.
Thank you Lauren!!
Wendy
I enjoyed reading your post and rationale. Too funny though, I had a vegan couple over for dinner last night, so cooking was vegan of course. I asked the lady what got her onto so limiting her diet and she told me she had weighed about 250 for some years and her current boyfriend got her to try it. She’s quite slim now. I said something like you’re probably not so tempted to eat a lot 🙂 Just picked a bagful of kale from my garden, and a good way to use that is to turn it into pesto with some fresh tropical oregano, etc. Very good on pasta!
I’m absolutely trying kale pesto. Very interested.
Wendy
I used to have a similar kale recipe. It was delicious! I’d forgotten about it. I’ll try yours next time!
I love peanut butter on crackers as a snack.
Peanut butter on crackers: yum!!
Wendy
This post makes a lot of sense! Thanks for sharing with #PoCoLo
Thank you again! I love #PoCoLo!!
Wendy
I agree about interesting food. Learning to cook a plant based diet I am introducing myself to all kinds of amazing spices and herbs. Do you know how freaking awesome leeks are?
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Hi Michelle,
I haven’t cooked with a leek in a million years! I’ll get one today.
I can’t wait to read about your NC move. Very jealous. Love that state.
Wendy
Thanks for all of these great tips and reminders, Wendy. Such helpful advice! I need to get up to Trader Joe’s soon. We moved about 20 minutes farther away from our closest one, so now it takes me a half hour to get there. I’m featuring this at the TFT party today. 🙂
Hi Wendy, I am happy to let you know that you’re our featured blogger in today’s 4T’s newsletter which will go out in the next hour or so.